Fiction_L Archives Fiction evaluation Dates: 3/17/02,6:54 PM  through  3/26/02,12:06 PM  (9 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to March 2002 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Jennifer Hendzlik" <[removed]@mail.sgcl.org>
REC'D: 3/17/02, 6:54 PM

Fellow fiction-aholics,

I am currently trying to evaluate the fiction collection of the
main library where I work. The main facility has always been very
focused on providing more research/non-fiction services. As a
result, the fiction collection has been neglected for a long
time. When the main facility moved across town to a more (forgive
the term) "Barnes & Noble, cappucino drinking, we can buy our
books if we want crowd" the fiction collection was suddenly in
more demand.

I currently have 230 hours to devote to cleaning the collection
up. I am in the midst of some serious weeding but after that
where do you go? I have not been able to find much on fiction
evaluation in the literature and the most current guidelines I
have are from 1992. Here is where I need your help!

How do you evaluate your collections? Do you do comparisons with
similar library systems? How do you gather data from them if you
do? Do you have a core set of classics you maintain or do you
attempt to be a resource center? What do you browse to stay on
top of the patron interests as opposed to only using booklist and
LJ? What am I missing?

As you can see I need all the help you can give me. I have a
brand spankin' new MLS with eight years experience trying to give
fiction a fighting chance in our system.

Please feel free to e-mail me privately.

Jennifer


Jennifer Hendzlik
Reference Librarian/Music Specialist
The Library Center
417-874-8112 ext. 133

"Men occaisonally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick
themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." -Winston
Churchill

________________________________________________________________
Sent via the Springfield-Greene County Library system at
mail.sgcl.org

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/17/02, 8:29 PM

Hello, Jennifer.
(I hope folks respond to the list on this
one, I'm sure we'll all benefit.)
My knee-jerk response is always: Is there a Book
on this? Sometimes book-length immersion in a
subject can really prime the mind with ideas and
approaches.
There are a couple that you might find worth
poring over. The first is Fiction Acquisition
/Fiction Management: Education and Training,
Georgine N. Olson, ed. (1998) Pricey at $55, I
saw one for $15 on Powells.com - there might be
cheaper still. If your library subscribes to The
Acquisitions Librarian then you already have it,
although I couldn't cite the issue #. There's a
booklist review for it below.

Another title is: Managing Fiction in
Libraries, Margaret Kinnell Evans ed. (1991).
And a book I don't know: Fiction in Libraries
(Handbooks on Library Practice) by John Dixon
(1987). Anyone read this one? Probably both
worth ILL's, at least.

Strength to your Sword Arm
and
Money in your Purse!

David Wright
Seattle Public Library

From Booklist
Fiction accounts for 50
percent or more of some public libraries'
circulation, yet few libraries, it seems,
willingly devote correspondent resources to their
fiction collections. This volume, reprinting
an issue of The Acquisitions Librarian, opens
with discussion of training librarians to acquire
and manage fiction and continues with chapters on
managing the fiction collection of a medium-sized
public library, using the conspectus method to
assess fiction collections, and assessing lease
plans as a means of expanding fiction resources.
Two chapters deal with collecting special types
of fiction: the works of Czech novelists
circulated underground during the Communist
period, and antitheory fiction, much of which
satirizes many of the new approaches to literary
criticism and whose practitioners include such
authors as Malcolm Bradbury and David Lodge.
Edward Swanson


--- Jennifer Hendzlik <[removed]@mail.sgcl.org>
wrote:
> Fellow fiction-aholics,
>
> I am currently trying to evaluate the fiction
> collection of the
> main library where I work. The main facility
> has always been very
> focused on providing more research/non-fiction
> services. As a
> result, the fiction collection has been
> neglected for a long
> time. When the main facility moved across town
> to a more (forgive
> the term) "Barnes & Noble, cappucino drinking,
> we can buy our
> books if we want crowd" the fiction collection
> was suddenly in
> more demand.
>
> I currently have 230 hours to devote to
> cleaning the collection
> up. I am in the midst of some serious weeding
> but after that
> where do you go? I have not been able to find
> much on fiction
> evaluation in the literature and the most
> current guidelines I
> have are from 1992. Here is where I need your
> help!
>
> How do you evaluate your collections? Do you
> do comparisons with
> similar library systems? How do you gather
> data from them if you
> do? Do you have a core set of classics you
> maintain or do you
> attempt to be a resource center? What do you
> browse to stay on
> top of the patron interests as opposed to only
> using booklist and
> LJ? What am I missing?
>
> As you can see I need all the help you can give
> me. I have a
> brand spankin' new MLS with eight years
> experience trying to give
> fiction a fighting chance in our system.
>
> Please feel free to e-mail me privately.
>
> Jennifer
>
>
> Jennifer Hendzlik
> Reference Librarian/Music Specialist
> The Library Center
> 417-874-8112 ext. 133
>
> "Men occaisonally stumble across the truth, but
> most of them pick
> themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had
> happened." -Winston
> Churchill
>
>
________________________________________________________________
> Sent via the Springfield-Greene County Library
> system at
> mail.sgcl.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
http://sports.yahoo.com/

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 3/18/02, 1:00 AM

Hello, Jennifer.
(I hope folks respond to the list on this
one, I'm sure we'll all benefit.)
My knee-jerk response is always: Is there a Book
on this? Sometimes book-length immersion in a
subject can really prime the mind with ideas and
approaches.
There are a couple that you might find worth
poring over. The first is Fiction Acquisition
/Fiction Management: Education and Training,
Georgine N. Olson, ed. (1998) Pricey at $55, I
saw one for $15 on Powells.com - there might be
cheaper still. If your library subscribes to The
Acquisitions Librarian then you already have it,
although I couldn't cite the issue #. There's a
booklist review for it below.

Another title is: Managing Fiction in
Libraries, Margaret Kinnell Evans ed. (1991).
And a book I don't know: Fiction in Libraries
(Handbooks on Library Practice) by John Dixon
(1987). Anyone read this one? Probably both
worth ILL's, at least.

Strength to your Sword Arm
and
Money in your Purse!

David Wright
Seattle Public Library

From Booklist
Fiction accounts for 50
percent or more of some public libraries'
circulation, yet few libraries, it seems,
willingly devote correspondent resources to their
fiction collections. This volume, reprinting
an issue of The Acquisitions Librarian, opens
with discussion of training librarians to acquire
and manage fiction and continues with chapters on
managing the fiction collection of a medium-sized
public library, using the conspectus method to
assess fiction collections, and assessing lease
plans as a means of expanding fiction resources.
Two chapters deal with collecting special types
of fiction: the works of Czech novelists
circulated underground during the Communist
period, and antitheory fiction, much of which
satirizes many of the new approaches to literary
criticism and whose practitioners include such
authors as Malcolm Bradbury and David Lodge.
Edward Swanson

=====
David Wright Seattle Public Library

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
http://sports.yahoo.com/

FROM: Sandy Westbrook <[removed]@crlc.org>
REC'D: 3/18/02, 9:21 AM

Jennifer,
When I did an evaluation of my library's science fiction collection, I
used "Fiction Catalog" published by the H.W. Wilson Company. Here's info
from the flap:
"Fiction Catalog is a selective list of classic and contemporary works of
fiction recommended for a general adult audience. The titles are chosen
with the assistance of experienced librarians from a number of public
library systems. ...(it) has been recognized as an authoritative resource
for librarians, especially in collection development..."
The catalog gave me a good feeling for the classics of SF and helped with
weeding and filling in the collection. It's arranged alphabetically by
author's last name and would give you a good list of fiction authors you
would want in your collection.
If you're looking for popular contemporary authors, Baker & Taylor has a
program called "Automatically Yours" that allows you to order by author
rather than title. If you could get a copy of their list, you'd have a
good idea of authors you need represented in your collection. I'd also look
at the NY Times bestseller lists and make sure you have those books/authors.

HTH
Sandy Westbrook
South Windsor Public Library
1550 Sullivan Avenue
South Windsor, CT 06074
Ph 860-644-1541
Fax 860-644-7645
[removed]@crlc.org


>
>I am currently trying to evaluate the fiction collection of the
>main library where I work. The main facility has always been very
>focused on providing more research/non-fiction services. As a
>result, the fiction collection has been neglected for a long
>time. When the main facility moved across town to a more (forgive
>the term) "Barnes & Noble, cappucino drinking, we can buy our
>books if we want crowd" the fiction collection was suddenly in
>more demand.
>
>I currently have 230 hours to devote to cleaning the collection
>up. I am in the midst of some serious weeding but after that
>where do you go? I have not been able to find much on fiction
>evaluation in the literature and the most current guidelines I
>have are from 1992. Here is where I need your help!
>
>How do you evaluate your collections? Do you do comparisons with
>similar library systems? How do you gather data from them if you
>do? Do you have a core set of classics you maintain or do you
>attempt to be a resource center? What do you browse to stay on
>top of the patron interests as opposed to only using booklist and
>LJ? What am I missing?
>
>As you can see I need all the help you can give me. I have a
>brand spankin' new MLS with eight years experience trying to give
>fiction a fighting chance in our system.
>
>Please feel free to e-mail me privately.
>
>Jennifer
>
>
>Jennifer Hendzlik
>Reference Librarian/Music Specialist
>The Library Center
>417-874-8112 ext. 133
>
>"Men occaisonally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick
>themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." -Winston
>Churchill
>
>________________________________________________________________
>Sent via the Springfield-Greene County Library system at
>mail.sgcl.org
>
>
>
>
>
>......................................................................
>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 3/18/02, 9:42 AM

At 10:21 AM 3/18/02 -0500, you wrote:
>Jennifer,
> When I did an evaluation of my library's science fiction collection, I
>used "Fiction Catalog" published by the H.W. Wilson Company. <snip>

For science fiction specifically, I'd suggest taking a look at the
core collection listings (under title "Best Books," on pp. 765-784) in

Title: Anatomy of wonder 4 : a critical guide to science fiction /
edited by Neil Barron.

Published: New Providence, N.J. : R.R. Bowker, c1995.

Description: xxiv, 912 p. ; 24 cm.

Subjects, Library of Congress (Use s=):
Science fiction--Bibliography.
Science fiction--History and criticism.

though this is now some eight years out of date. (On the other
hand, my own sf reading is mostly about thirty years out of
date...)

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: Julie Roberts <[removed]@rolling-meadows.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 3/18/02, 2:31 PM

Jennifer--There is a book to look at to evaluate your collection: The
Fiction Catalog by H. W. Wilson Co., which is updated annually with
supplements to the main book. You can also use the following journals:
Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, The New York Times Books
section and your local paper's book section. Look at neighboring libraries
to see what they have or are missing in their collections. Good luck!
FICTION IS VERY IMPORTANT! Julie A. Roberts
[removed]@rolling-meadows.lib.il.us
"My opinions are my own".

-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Hendzlik [[removed]@mail.sgcl.org]
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 1:20 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Fiction evaluation

Fellow fiction-aholics,

I am currently trying to evaluate the fiction collection of the
main library where I work. The main facility has always been very
focused on providing more research/non-fiction services. As a
result, the fiction collection has been neglected for a long
time. When the main facility moved across town to a more (forgive
the term) "Barnes & Noble, cappucino drinking, we can buy our
books if we want crowd" the fiction collection was suddenly in
more demand.

I currently have 230 hours to devote to cleaning the collection
up. I am in the midst of some serious weeding but after that
where do you go? I have not been able to find much on fiction
evaluation in the literature and the most current guidelines I
have are from 1992. Here is where I need your help!

How do you evaluate your collections? Do you do comparisons with
similar library systems? How do you gather data from them if you
do? Do you have a core set of classics you maintain or do you
attempt to be a resource center? What do you browse to stay on
top of the patron interests as opposed to only using booklist and
LJ? What am I missing?

As you can see I need all the help you can give me. I have a
brand spankin' new MLS with eight years experience trying to give
fiction a fighting chance in our system.

Please feel free to e-mail me privately.

Jennifer


Jennifer Hendzlik
Reference Librarian/Music Specialist
The Library Center
417-874-8112 ext. 133

"Men occaisonally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick
themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." -Winston
Churchill

________________________________________________________________
Sent via the Springfield-Greene County Library system at
mail.sgcl.org

FROM: Bradley A Scott <[removed]@juno.com>
REC'D: 3/18/02, 3:26 PM

Jennifer Hendzlik wrote...

>Do you have a core set of classics you maintain or do you
>attempt to be a resource center? What do you browse to stay on
>top of the patron interests as opposed to only using booklist and
>LJ? What am I missing?

"Fiction Catalog", which someone else has suggested, is a sensible choice
for a "core set of classics". You might also look for reputable "best
books" lists or bibliographies of genre fiction, as Dennis L. has
suggested. I got some benefit out of David Pringle's "Science Fiction :
the 100 best novels", although it's fairly old (1984) and Anglocentric.
The same holds true for James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock's "Fantasy :
the 100 best books." Perhaps if you have these, they might be useful
guides as to what older books to retain in those genres, or to acquire if
your budget allows.

You could also refer to award lists, such as the Pulitzer Prizes
(www.pulitzer.org/Archive/archive.html) and the National Book Award
(www.nationalbook.org). Genre award lists might be useful, too. Here
are a couple for SF --

Nebula Award, given out by the Science Fiction Writers of America:
www.sfwa.org/awards/archive/pastwin.htm
Hugo Award, given out by the World Science Fiction Society :
http://worldcon.org/hugos.html

If you can afford them, specialized magazines dealing with particular
genres are an excellent way to keep up with what's going on in that
genre. Mainstream media are frequently far behind the curve in covering
SF, fantasy, romance, mysteries, etc. If nothing else, you could scan
the online versions of such magazines for news & reviews that might prove
useful in collection development. Although their websites usually don't
contain the full magazine, they usually have a sampling of the contents.
"Locus" (www.locusmag.com) and "Science Fiction and Fantasy"
(www.fsfmag.com), which carries a regular book review column from Charles
De Lint, are the ones I know about in the genres I favor; perhaps others
could suggest comparable sources in romance, mystery, etc.

Bradley A. Scott

________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.

FROM: "Sue Rice" <[removed]@ascpl.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 3/19/02, 1:39 PM

Dear Jennifer,
As a branch library manager for almost 20 years (in four different
branches, one of them completely new) and as a devoted Reader's Advisor, I
just have to put my two cents in.
Most of all, you need to decide what is the purpose of your collection
and who is your audience. Are you a resource library for branches within a
system, a (at least in effect) branch within a larger system, or a
stand-alone which must be all things to all people? Is your primary
audience students (and what level)/research or recreational readers?
If you are a resource library or a stand-alone, your fiction collection
will need to be much more in depth than if you are a recreational library.
If you are serving students in a particular area, see if you can get the
reading lists for their English classes; this will form a good basis for
your classics section.
As worthy as "Fiction Catalog" is, I find it of little use in
developing a recreational collection. It will give you some idea of "good"
books, but it's not necessarily a buying guide for a recreational
collection. For popular up-to-date recommendations, I read "People,"
"Entertainment Weekly," (the whole magazines, not just the book sections),
and the book section of USAToday and the local paper. Not really erudite,
but that's what most of my customers are reading. I try to keep up with
what movies are coming out--and are they based on a book? What are the
newest trends in sports (e.g., the tremendous interest in NASCAR), music,
recreation, travel (what's the newest hot spot?), etc.? I keep an eye on
the amazon.com and B&N bestsellers, the Oprah list, NPR/Fresh Air, and the
NY Times Bestsellers list (though that I take with a grain of salt, since
much of what's on there is of little interest to MY customers--and, as a
branch, I "can always get it from Main.")
As far as genres, "Romantic Times" is the best tool for that area; I
also belong to dorothyl (the mystery listserv). These are the two primary
genre interest areas of my customers.

Best of luck,
Sue

FROM: Lynda Whitton-Henley <[removed]@ccpl.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us>
REC'D: 3/26/02, 12:06 PM

Hi Jennifer,

I have a branch with about 8000 plus in Adult F and over 400 in LP plus
about 800 in honors paperback. We serve three school districts so I try
to make sure i have several copies of books on the middle/Jr. High & High
School reading lists. I just rec'd a TX Bk Festival $2,500 award to
specifically help me purchase books we did not have from their lists (had
81 of 120 titles), plus add a couple of copies of each title and some
Cliff Notes.

Can you get a feel yet for what your public is wanting? Best Sellers?
Gentle reads in romance & mysteries. Christian Fiction is a must for my
public as is SCI-FI, Fantasy and Westerns. BTY I would suggest buying
westerns in LP because it tends to be the older men who enjoy reading
them.

I have to go do circ desk duty for lunch ...just some thoughts on how I
buy to keep my people happy.

Lynda Whitton-Henley, Br. Mgr.
Northwest Br., Corpus Christi, TX

Jennifer Hendzlik wrote:

> Fellow fiction-aholics,
>
> I am currently trying to evaluate the fiction collection of the
> main library where I work. The main facility has always been very
> focused on providing more research/non-fiction services. As a
> result, the fiction collection has been neglected for a long
> time. When the main facility moved across town to a more (forgive
> the term) "Barnes & Noble, cappucino drinking, we can buy our
> books if we want crowd" the fiction collection was suddenly in
> more demand.
>
> I currently have 230 hours to devote to cleaning the collection
> up. I am in the midst of some serious weeding but after that
> where do you go? I have not been able to find much on fiction
> evaluation in the literature and the most current guidelines I
> have are from 1992. Here is where I need your help!
>
> How do you evaluate your collections? Do you do comparisons with
> similar library systems? How do you gather data from them if you
> do? Do you have a core set of classics you maintain or do you
> attempt to be a resource center? What do you browse to stay on
> top of the patron interests as opposed to only using booklist and
> LJ? What am I missing?
>
> As you can see I need all the help you can give me. I have a
> brand spankin' new MLS with eight years experience trying to give
> fiction a fighting chance in our system.
>
> Please feel free to e-mail me privately.
>
> Jennifer
>
> Jennifer Hendzlik
> Reference Librarian/Music Specialist
> The Library Center
> 417-874-8112 ext. 133
>
> "Men occaisonally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick
> themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." -Winston
> Churchill
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Sent via the Springfield-Greene County Library system at
> mail.sgcl.org
>
>
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

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